Garden Wall
by SilverHuntresses
Summary: Two houses. Two worlds. Two kids. One Garden Wall. (another wonderful collab with Hugs6) Disclaimer: except plot, all main characters belong to Uncle Rick
1. Chapter 1

**Good morning, guys!**

 **To be honest, we weren't gonna do this until some time later, after finishing our latest story, but** Hugs6 **and I couldn't help it and we wrote another stoyr for you guys to read about our pair of favorite future-tellers :)**

 **This one, however, won't focus on monsters and trips to the Underworld... This one would be more normal than the others, so I hope you all guys enjoy it!**

 **Oh! And go check out** How I met my brother **in** Hugs6 **'s profile!**

* * *

 _ **10** **years earlier...**_

There was a stark contrast between his garden and hers. His was empty but perfect. There wasn't a single weed, just grass, trees, a fountain, and a few benches. Her garden had a ton of flowers. There was always a gardener out weeding and planting and watering the plants. And whenever little Rachel Dare came to visit he would pretend to spray her with the hose. She would laugh and squeal, and on the other side of the wall there was a little boy sitting against it, in the shade of a tree, listening to that laughter and pulling his knees up to his chest because it hurt.

And then the sunshine would peep over his side of the wall, with stolen flowers in her wild red hair.

"Hey!"He wilted against the wall he was leaning against, like moss in the cracks, if he could make himself any smaller he would have, and he tried to make it look like he had never been crying.

"Hey neighbor boy! Do you want to come over? My parents aren't home. It's just the gardener and we like him." Octavian didn't say anything. He couldn't. She hopped over the wall.

"Neighbor boy look at me." She ordered in a frustrated manner, pulling a rose from her curls and shoving it in his face. He flinched at the sight of the rose and shook his head.

"Okay don't take the rose. Come over! My family is gone. You won't get yelled at. You won't get hurt. The gardener might spray us but that's it. Please?" He was seven, she was five. He was taller than her when he stood up. She grinned and took his hand, tugging at him, and he followed her over the wall.

It really was like stepping into a different world, bright and colorful and on purpose, and perfect. That hadn't changed, the need for perfection was on both sides of the wall. But she pulled him past the color and the roses, and the daisies and everything and finally dragged him away form the wonderland.

"You wanna see my room neighbor boy? Your name is Ian right?"

"Octavian." He answered in a mumble, pulling his sleeves down to cover some bruises.

"Imma call you Ian. I'm Rachel."

"I know. Your parents yell at you and I hear it." She pouted.

"I don't like that."

"Me neither." He admitted.

"Come see my room! I have a secret." He followed her curiously, having never had secrets shared with him, other than the drunk ones his dad whispered that he didn't understand. She dragged him to her room, which was decorated like any typical little girl's room, with pink walls and a canopy bed and a soft white rug, and a doll house in the corner. And stolen flowers flung about the room. And the oddest smell of paint.

"Help me move this!" She pushed at her dresser and he cautiously helped her out. What he saw was amazing.

"I painted them!" She cheered when he saw the mystical creatures on the other side of the dresser.

"It's cool." He said with a small smile. She grinned.

"Thank you!" She smiled and stood on tippy toes, kissing his cheek and putting a rose in his hair. He stumbled back and threw the rose.

"No! I don't like roses!" His face turned dark, stormy. She took a step back, and then her smile returned.

"Why not? They're pretty. Like my pictures. You think my pictures are pretty, right?"

"Yeah. But Roses aren't just pretty, they hurt. You can't tell they'll hurt you, but they do." He looked at her, trying to convey the weight of his words to her.

She wasn't just a good artist, she got it.

"I won't hurt you Ian." She smiled again and patted his cheek where she'd kissed it.

"You wanna paint?"

"I don't know how."

"I can show you. It'll be our secret."

"My family doesn't like your family."

"Okay! We can be different. I like being different." Her hair went everywhere, a few flowers fell out.

"Why? Don't your parents yell at you."

"Yeah. Mommies and daddies are supposed to be nice. I read that somewhere. I guess they're different too."

"How is different good then?"

"I don't know. If there wasn't different there wouldn't be two sides of the wall." She studied the sulking boy, two years older than her.

"There wouldn't be you and me. Different's good." He shrugged.

"I guess."

"If there wasn't different, there wouldn't be flowers that don't hurt you. Here." She pressed a daisy into his hand.

"I like your hair. Put the daisy in it." He obeyed, since she was intimidating.

"You wanna paint now?"

"Maybe later. My dad is home. He'll be concerned."

"Is he gonna hit you?" She asked innocently, beginning to paint again. Octavian paled and shook his head.

"I hear your daddy yelling like you hear my mommy and daddy yelling. We can start a club to paint and hide from our parents. Okay?"

"S-sure."

"We'll meet by the garden wall. See you tomorrow. Stay safe." He quirked his head curiously. No one had really ever told him to stay safe before. She smiled.

"Garden wall. Tomorrow. Safe." She repeated, pushing him gently toward the door.

"Yeah. You can find me by the garden wall." He'd be there, but staying safe was another matter.

* * *

 **Hello, guys!**

 **Normally, I wouldn't do this, since I have a regular A/N on Sundays' post, but I require this channel to let you know about a little something...**

 **A friend/writer/roleplay buddy from Wattpad, with the username** Purely_Half_Dragon **(I bet some of you know him) has started a fund to earn money for a new computer. Is his goal to get one before going to college in March. I'd like for all of you to pass around this fund's site (it's on the site** gofundme Laptop - for - College - Fund **, no spaces) and, if you cannot because you're young, or you don't have enough money to donate, please, share it with your friends and relatives. When you do, add the** #DonateForSean

 **It will take only a few minutes of your time and he would be more than grateful that you're sharing it around...**

 **Oh! And go check out** Hugs6 **and I's new story,** How I met my Brother **! Is in** Hugs6's **profile!**

 **Thanks for listening!**


	2. Chapter 2

Ten years passed from that afternoon, when Octavian and Rachel met for the first time.

Soon, the kids' naivety would leave them and see that their own parents were extremely competitive one with the other. At the tender age of seven, Rachel found herself learning how to insult with subtle and class, and how to look around over the nose, as if she was better than the rest. She didn't know why she had to be like that, but one thing was sure, playtime was over.

Though looking back now, the problems Rachel seemed to have were meaningless compared with the ones of her friend through the garden wall. Her hairbrush stopped its movements while she glanced through the window, to the opposite window of the neighbor's house. Octavian didn't have it as light as her, and each day was harder.

Right now, she should be getting ready for a party that her parents were throwing and they invited everyone. Even included the Alexanders', Octavian's parents. They were always the only two kids on the party and their own parents wanted them to be at each others' throats all night. That wasn't how a fifteen-year-old girl wanted to have a party like.

She straighten her dress-urgh, how much she hated that dress-before glancing one more time through the window. She could see slowly and edgy movements. Since she had a moment or two, she prepared the first aid kit, before going down the stairs with it. Almost like a spy in her own home, Rachel walked without being seen through the house and placed the kit by the garden wall. No one would see it, as everyone hated to get dirty on their shoes.

While walking back in, she noticed her parents having a conversation between whispers. She knew better not to interfered. Last time she did it, her own father raised his hand at her. Nothing happened, as the maid and the gardener walked in right at the moment and saw everything. But Rachel had learnt the lesson: never meddle with the grown ups.

"The guests are about to arrive." Her mother announced, looking at her appearance. She nodded at the end, but gave little tap down her chin, to make her stand straight. Sighing, she did that and stood next to her parents, while they greeted the incoming guests. Soon, almost everyone was present and her parents noticed that.

"Looks like they won't come..." Her father commented, with a satisfactory smile. Rachel got bumped down by hearing that, but he talked too soon, as the doors opened up and the last guests arrived. "Wonderful..." Though, the tone of his voice said, ' _I thought we were gonna be free of them tonight!_ '

"Robert..." The father of the tiny family greeted Rachel's father, who shook his hand with a fake smile. "I hope we're not too late for this party..."

"You arrived just in time..." Rachel stopped listening to what her father was saying and concentrated on the seventeen-year-old boy that was standing in front of her. Just like she did, he had changed over the course of the years, though the changes were more noticeable in her. "Rachel, why don't you show, um..."

"Octavian." Octavian filled the blank, in a very bored tone. It was obvious that he was tired and used that people forgot his name.

"Right, Octavian... Show him around the new entertaining room... I'm sure he'll be... impressed by it." Rachel understood that tone perfectly. It was the ' _make them drool and get jealous of us_ '.

"Yes, father." Rachel nodded at him, before making a gesture to Octavian to follow her. They walked in silence, under the watch of all the guests that were looking at them while walking up the stairs. Like, seriously? Were they expecting they jumped at each others' throat at the time and aim to kill? That's sadistic.

"Under the microscope again..." Rachel heard Octavian mutter and she had to agree with him. It was ridiculous and, apparently, none of them liked it. They walked in silence again, until Rachel reached the entertaining room, opening the door.

"This is the entertaining room..." She said in monotone rehearsed voice. She hated that part of their friendship. Couldn't they go out like normal kids and have fun for a day? Wait, did she just thought of them ' _going out_ ' as in ' _dating_ '? Luckily, she had time to compose herself as Octavian was looking around the room, trying to be interested.

"It look very well updated..." Octavian pointed out. "Though, you forgot to add the latest surround system... 5.1 Dolby is so history..." That also sounded like a rehearsed line and Rachel forced herself to reply to that.

"That's too bad... that you cannot see quality things, even when they are under your noses!" She retorted, trying to sound stuck up. She knew that someone could be listening and reporting back to their parents. "This audio system is _so_ advance is not even legal here and we had to smuggled it in the country." Octavian turned around to finally see her and Rachel saw a make up line around his jaw.

"You know is going to happen when my father hears about this?" The threat had double sense and Rachel knew it. "He's gonna get it confiscated! That way, everyone will see the fraud you are!" Rachel could not care less about that. When Octavian passed by her, she made her move.

"Garden wall..." She whispered at him, trying to hide the worry out of her eyes. "Stay safe..." Octavian swallowed hard and nodded, before leaving the room. It was obvious what he was about to do, but Rachel decided to stay out of the action.

"Father!" She could hear him say-more like shouting to the guests in the room. Rachel knew it was her cue to leave, as she didn't want to be in the same room as Octavian's father and her own, especially when they were at each other's throat.

Couldn't life be simpler...?

* * *

 **Hello, guys!**

 **Normally, I wouldn't do this, since I have a regular A/N on Sundays' post, but I require this channel to let you know about a little something...**

 **A friend/writer/roleplay buddy from Wattpad, with the username** Purely_Half_Dragon **(I bet some of you know him) has started a fund to earn money for a new computer. Is his goal to get one before going to college in March. I'd like for all of you to pass around this fund's site (it's on the site** gofundme Laptop - for - College - Fund **, no spaces) and, if you cannot because you're young, or you don't have enough money to donate, please, share it with your friends and relatives. When you do, add the** #DonateForSean

 **It will take only a few minutes of your time and he would be more than grateful that you're sharing it around...**

 **Oh! And go check out** Hugs6 **and I's new story,** How I met my Brother **! Is in** Hugs6's **profile!**

 **Thanks for listening!**


	3. Chapter 3

The garden wall club. What had happened to the garden wall club?

What had happened to being different, to that little girl who forced him to promise that he would be different? They weren't different.

She wasn't different.

Well, not completely. There was still a great part of her that was kind and caring. The part of her that set out first aid kits and didn't tell her parents that she knew he hid his bruises with makeup. If her parents found out, they would tell his parents and his father would probably beat him worse. They wouldn't try to put a stop to the beatings. Of course not, they weren't the type to look out for anyone other than themselves. They didn't beat Rachel, but they hardly cared for her.

All they cared was that they were one step ahead of the Alexanders, who in return tried to be one step ahead of them. That stupid bit from earlier, at the party.

"When my father hears about this." What a joke. More like when his mom explains what he tells to my father so Steve Alexander can straighten to full height and threaten to throw punches. Mr. Dare was appropriately terrified of Steve Alexander, like everyone else in the world except his mother. Victoria Alexander wasn't tall with brute force but she had a cold kind of terrifying. The cold kind of terrifying that let her husband beat their only child when she couldn't hear the screams.

Of course, Octavian didn't scream anymore.

Screaming was useless. Mostly he just cried. Crying made things worse, but he couldn't help it.

Did she look at him and see tears that had probably been running down his face just hours earlier?

Did she see the little boy he was inside who still hid under a tree by the garden wall hoping she'd come instead of his father?

Did she see him at all? Was she still the same person she'd been, inside and out? Or had she been corrupted by her parents?

He didn't know.

What had happened to the garden wall club?

He just didn't know.

It was late. He'd wiped off the makeup, his dad had gone to bed, his mom was doing paperwork and he was doing homework. One small happy family, all in separate rooms, all not caring about the other.

It wasn't true. That they didn't care about each other. Victoria and Steve cared about each other. They just didn't care for their son. Well, she cared. She cared that Octavian seemed like the perfect obedient son, and he cared that she was happy and Octavian was happy. Everyone had to seem happy, if they didn't...

WHAM.

Sometimes it came out of nowhere. Like he was expecting it, but he was, he had to always, except sometimes it still shocked him. The things that could happen. The things parents would do without caring. The things that happened on different sides of a garden wall.

It was nearly midnight, and he had school in the morning. His homework was done and he should've been in bed. Instead his pillow was stone, his mattress was grass. He was leaning against the garden wall waiting for... Something.

Maybe for her. She wouldn't come out. She was asleep in her comfy bed with paintings on the wall, sure, for sure, and dreaming pretty dreams.

He wondered if she ever dreamed like he did. Of the day when he was seven and she was five and...

No, she'd forgotten. Surely. It wasn't like he dreamed of it most nights, when it hurt to sleep. It wasn't like he thought of her as a rose, pretty, but could hurt him.

No. It wasn't as if he was thinking of her now. Waiting for her now.

Dreaming of her as dew settled on his clothes. He'd be sick in the morning. Pneumonia, perhaps.

Someone would get mad at him. His nice pajamas would be ruined. Maybe his parents would find him, or maybe the college student who mowed their lawn on Monday mornings. Or maybe the maid, on her way through the back entrance.

It didn't matter.

He liked it better out here.

Out here, for a little while, he was safe from roses, and perfection, and family.

Out here, he was different.


	4. Chapter 4

"How could you allow that?!"

Those were the first words Rachel heard from her father's mouth, once the guests were gone and the maids were cleaning the house. Rachel stopped in her tracks, not understanding what he meant. She turned slowly towards her father, trying not to show how fearful she was.

"I'm sor-"

"Don't you dare play innocent with me, young lady!" He kept screaming. Luckily, Rachel had been going up the stairs, so she was kind of safe. Kind of. "What you said to the Alexander boy." For a second, Rachel was scared that her father found out her much more meaning relationship with Octavian, but luckily, her mother saved her this time.

"Robert, she did what you asked her for. She bragged it and, unfortunately, it hit us too." Her mother was either doing her a favor or was covering her own skin. Rachel never took anything for granted again.

"Steve Alexander made me look like a fool!" That was Rachel's cue to leave the room. She had never seen her father so angry and she wasn't going to start now. Seeking refugee in her room, she locked the door and took off those elegant clothes that made her no able to breath. Granted, it wasn't a corset, but it was very hard to be yourself in that hideous thing.

Once that was done, she grabbed a few things and dropped them through the window, into the garden. Carefully, she climbed down the wall, using the hidden ladder that she begged the gardener to hide with one of his climbing plants. She was careful that her lights were off and she had a light with her before climbing down and reaching the garden and the things she threw. She walked in silence, until she found her target.

"Hey..." She whispered through the garden's wall, trying to smile. He wasn't going to se it, but it was important to her. "You're better?" It was a non verbal agreement they reached.

"I thought you weren't going to come..." His muffled voice came from the other side.

"When have I missed when you need me?" She argued back, not trying to scold him. Listing a little the wall between them, Rachel passed him a pillow and a cover. "I guess you wanna be here tonight... The offer of sleeping in my bed is still available, you know... The door is locked-"

"Here's fine, thanks." He interrupted her, grabbing the things. Through the years, Rachel noticed how stubborn is Octavian. Though she was even more stubborn than him.

"You know..." She started, playing with the grass on her side. "I never wanted to tell you this, because it was embarrassing and you could probably think I'm insane or never want to see me again..."

"Why don't you tell me and let me be the judge of it?" He suggested, not being rude. Rachel nodded, though he couldn't see her completely.

"Yeah, well... I always considered the option of running away from home..." Silence followed that statement and Rachel couldn't blame him. She was, at least in façade, having the perfect life, why would she run away from it? "I mean, yeah, I have a great life but its not a life, if you know what I mean..." He did and very well. "So, I wanted to feel what it was to be on my own, to not have someone breathing on my neck all the time, pestering me for not being perfect... But then I remember, that I'm too much of a coward to do it..."

Octavian hadn't said anything since she started talking, which could be one of two things. He either fell asleep listening to her, which she wouldn't mind as he had a worst night than her. Or he was considering what to say to her. Rachel waited for a few minutes before hearing a soft breathing and the ruffling of the grass. Octavian had fallen asleep.

Thinking that it was somehow cute that he always fell asleep when she was talking, Rachel passed the wall and squeezed his hand, before getting up and climbing up back to her room. Once inside, she couldn't sleep. She had no inspiration to paint and she shouldn't be doing noise. So, what was left to do? Everyone thought she was asleep...

In a streak of rebelliousness, Rachel grabbed suitcases and bags and started to pack her things. No, she wasn't going anywhere, but after tonight she wanted to be prepared. She separated clothes and things that could be useful or not, pacing the not useful ones inside the suitcases. The bags was for the essentials, along with several aid kits and hygiene stuff.

Someday, maybe, she will have to courage to leave that house, but let's fave reality, she was fifteen and running away will probably be difficult, not to mention dangerous for her. If she had a partner, that would be nice, but until then...

Exhausted, she collapsed in bed, thinking without her consent of those broken and almost soulless blue sky eyes. She wanted to help him, but there was nothing more she could do. Slowly, she closed her eyes, but those blue eyes never left her.


	5. SOMEONES IS PRETENDING TO BE ME

**NOT A DRILL!**

 **ATTENTION!**

 **ATTENTION!**

 **SOMEONE IS PRETENDING TO BE ME AND COPYING MY STORIES!**

 **I REPEAT, THIS IS NO DRILL!**

 **mtruyen . top/d oc-truy en/ story/ 16396430 -morta ls-m eet .ht ml**

 **SOMEONE IS COPYING MY STORIES WITHOUT MY PERMISSION, ALONG WITH -blue-cookies- COVER!**

 **PEOPLE, DESTROY THEM!**


	6. Chapter 6

His dreams were in headlines. He often dreamed in headlines.

" **SCANDAL: TEENAGE CHILDREN OF TWO WEALTHY BUSINESS ENTITIES RUN AWAY TOGETHER!** " It was a nice dream. Once he overlooked how upset his mom would be and how mad his dad would be when his mom got upset... Okay, not that nice of a dream.

He was lucky, really, that it was his mother who found him. Her reaction was stern and disappointed, which he hated, but it wasn't violent.

"Go to bed Octavian..." She looked so disappointed, like she was tired of this.

"And I mean now. Your father is doing errands so he'll be gone all day. Which means, he doesn't really have to know about this. I'll call your school and send someone to check on you in a few hours. Get some rest in a bed. With blankets." It was nice, though, to hear her talk like a mom. It always surprised him when she did, but he always liked it. Of the two Steve tended to seem the more parental, when he wasn't a basket of angry nerves he could talk and ask like school, always a little robotic like he was questioning each word and looking to Victoria for affirmation, but nonetheless fatherly. But it never lasted.

Headlines.

" **SCANDAL: NERVOUS MAN BEATS SON TO DEATH.** "

It was always scandal. He was deep in dream land now, tucked under a couple of blankets.

" **SCANDAL: SON OF RICH BUSINESSWOMAN FOUND HANGING OUT OF SECOND STORY WINDOW.** "

Why hanging? Why'd his dreams think it would be hanging. It so wouldn't be hanging...

" **SCANDAL: SON OF RICH BUSINESS WOMAN OVER DOSED, DEAD IN BATHROOM WITH ASPIRIN CONTAINER.** "

That was more like. That was one of those nice dreams...

" **SCANDAL: NERVOUS HUSBAND NEARLY KILLS WIFE AFTER SON'S SUICIDE.** "

And that was one of those things that was bound to happen if he ever actually did.

" **SCANDAL: DAUGHTER OF WEALTHY BUSINESSMAN RUNS AWAY AFTER BEST FRIEND'S SUICIDE.** "

Would she? Did she even consider him her best friend? He turned in the sheets, feverish and getting worse for the nightmares.

" **SCANDAL: RUNAWAY TEENS FOUND DEAD IN ALLEY.** "

Why did he want to run away so much? It would only end badly.

Then he got a headline that made sense. That wasn't a scandal.

" **DAUGHTER OF WEALTHY BUSINESSMAN ROBERT DARE TO HAVE PAINTINGS SHOWN IN THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART.** "

In his sleep, he smiled. For once, a headline didn't revolve around him. For once someone got to have a happy ending, and it was simply because he wasn't dragging her down...

" **SCANDAL: SON OF WEALTHY BUSINESSWOMAN DIES OF UNTREATED FEVER.** "

Was that really a scandal? Or was it one of his mother's servants scolding him for the fever as she shook him awake.

"Master Octavian, you really should be more careful. Here." She made him swallow a spoonful of medicine, which he groggily took, headlines still spinning in his mind. He liked the first one the best, but a few others had stuck out in his mind...

"Thank you Tessa. Thank you... May I have a bottle of aspirin?"

"Sleep would do you more good Master Octavian."

"You know you don't have to call me that..." He muttered, shifting tiredly and uncomfortably.

"Your father is home." She whispered.

"He isn't supposed to be!"

"Somehow he heard you were sick. He's right outside the door."

"Thank you." He lay down and tried to go to sleep, his mind racing and his heart fluttering nervously. He shouldn't have been this afraid to be sick. He shouldn't have been afraid to do anything around his father.

Steve Alexander came in after Tessa left and Octavian pretended to be asleep. He heard his dad's loud but gentle steps, heard the ticking of the watch his mom made him wear, and then heard his dad's breath catch. Then his shaggy blond hair got pushed out of his shut eyes, and there was a long pause like more was about to be done. Like his father was fighting an inner battle to not cause pain. He seemed to stop breathing for a second. Panic attack? Perhaps, Octavian had them, it would make sense if his father did to.

Then he fell asleep for real, and a small decision was made up subconsciously.

" **SCANDAL: TEENAGE BOY DECIDES TO STOP BEING AFRAID.** "

It was crazy, terrifying, irresponsible and probably terribly dangerous. But if he survived a fever, he was going to run away.

He just had to get over that garden wall...

* * *

 _Hello, guys!_

 _First of all, I'd like to apologize for the long absence. Things have been hectic lately and I'd had to organize them before continuing with my writing. As I'm writing this, I'm trying to catch up with all the delay posting, but I'm pretty sure that I'll be back at regular pace by the end of the month. I beg your patience for it._

 _Which leads me to remind you all that, I have made a Facebook page for my A/N and any news/rants/explanations/thing I like to be posted there. I recommend you check it out, mainly for the A/N, as I won't be posting them here anymore. The page is written down:_

 _Facebook: pg/SilverHuntresses/posts/_

 _For this morning, I'm planning to update only three stories, can't remember how many chapters each:_ ** _Mortals: Meet... 2_** _,_ ** _Percy Jackson, son of Chaos_** _and_ ** _Garden Wall_** _. As I mentioned before, be patience with me. I'll probably update_ ** _Urgent! Inspiration: Needed_** _tomorrow and Wednesday (that was written on Monday, when I still had power on... Haven't had yesterday and today is as fast as I can update), with_ ** _Mortals: Meet... the In-Laws_** _next. Any chapters that are missing from_ ** _Mortals: Meet... 2_** _will be post ASAP._

 _As I mentioned in a post on Facebook,_ ** _Mortals: Meet... 2_** _is coming to an end. Although it was a pleasure and a privilege to write almost 200 chapters about Percy and his friends (and making up a few futures and two lovely spin-offs of my own), I'm running out of ideas, which is why I'm slowing my writing a little: I wanna supply the demand, but I don't have resources. Which is why I decided, with a heavy heart, that it_ ** _won't_** _be a third part._

 _Also, I'd like to let you know that, I wanna finish_ ** _Urgent! Inspiration: Needed_** _before focusing in another story. I realized I tried to handle more than I can take and I'm not as focus as I was at the beginning, as life takes unexpected turns. That being said, it_ ** _doesn't_** _mean I will be giving up my writing and my stories, as it means too much to me._

 _Maybe, I'll diversify myself into a new fandom...? Or random stories...? Who knows..._

 _Please, check my Facebook page and I'll see you guys during the week._

 _Again, I apologize for the lateness and I appreciate your patience._

 _xoxo, Silver_


	7. Chapter 7

The morning came, but Rachel was nowhere prepared for school.

Her parents never cared about that when they threw a party. How they expected Rachel to stay awake all night, and going to school the next day was beyond her comprehension. She would argue at the beginning of her education, but she didn't anymore. What was the point if no one listens to you?

She got up from bed, changed clothes and went down to have breakfast. She was kind of glad her parents got up later than she did, though it was a tad hypocritical of them. Nevertheless, she appreciated it. After a quick breakfast, she rushed into the garden to see if Octavian was still there. By the time it was, he could have enough to eat before going to school.

He wasn't there.

She didn't panicked, as this had happened before. A maid or a worker had found him and forced him into bed. Though, that didn't dissipated the worry she had over him. Knowing that the best she could do for him was continuing with her normal life, Rachel went to pick her book and left for school. She asked the driver to take her, as she was too distracted to walk.

"Rachie!" Rachel growled inside, hating that nickname, but put a fake smile on her. That didn't stop her into going to Literature "My god, girl! You like drop dead tired!"

"Considering I had a... gathering at home last night, Sammy, I should be." She replied, as sickly sweetly as she could. It was obvious Samantha wanted to something or she wouldn't be pestering her. She was the biggest snob at school. Unfortunate for Rachel, she wasn't the richest, because if she was, she wouldn't even look at her.

"Oh, yeah... Daddy told me about it..." The girl's eyes glimmered with some disgust over her. "Is it true that Mr. Alexander and your father got into a... row?" Ah, so the true reason reveals... Rachel sighed, knowing that by lunch, every grown up that last night was at her house would know.

"Though I know Father was somehow... disappointed at Mr. Alexander, I can not know what happened between them, as I wasn't in the room." She admitted, taking herself out of the equation.

"Rumor has it that it was Mr. Alexander's son who told on you..." Count to ten, Rachel... One... Two... Three... Four... Five... Six... Sev- "Too bad he doesn't come to our school... He sure would be a gentleman..." She sighed, somehow lovestruck. Rachel blinked hard and tried not to laugh. As if Octavian could have eyes for you...

"Haven't spoke more than ten words to the guy." Totally a lie, but who will know?

"Alright, class! Settle down!" Mr. Blofis called, walking into the classroom and making everyone take seat, Rachel on the front. She likes it, no one could bother her up front or they'd be caught. "Right! I hope you finished reading A Midsummer Night's Dream, cause we will discuss it!" The class groaned loudly, but Rachel didn't care. She read the story while waiting for Octavian by the garden's wall. "First impressions?"

"Shakespeare needs to learn how to write!" Someone in the back yelled, making everyone chuckle. Everyone but Rachel and Mr. Blofis.

"Settle down!" Mr. Blofis repeated, obviously not liking how Shakespeare was disrespect. "Let's focus on Lysander and Hermia..."

"Oh, that was so romantic!" Rachel heard Samantha to sigh, like if she would like to do it. "Running away to be together, against the world..."

"She should just married the other guy, Demetrius..." Another girl shrugged, shoving away Samantha's thoughts. "She would be grateful that he was also in love with her... Most of the people in old myths r*** and take against their will... and had affairs..."

"So, are you saying she should have done what was easy instead of what was right?" Rachel couldn't believe it was her own voice the one that asked that question. "Yes, marrying Demetrius might have been what was easy, what would assured Hermia that he wouldn't assassinate Lysander just because he could and 'got the girl'?" She continued, trying not to get worked up. "And what about Helena? Watching her best friend with the love of her life should be just accepted?"

"Demetrius could had started an affair with her..."

"Again, what guarantee you have, in the book, that it would happen?" Mr. Blofis interrupted, apparently, liking they were discussing this with a certain amount of seriousness. "Can someone extrapolate it to the reality? Our reality? Or something more real...?" The students were left in silence, but Rachel's brain was already working.

"Lysander and Hermia could be neighbors..." She started, looking at Mr. Blofis. He nodded at her to continue. "Demetrius, instead of being Hermia's fiancee, could be her parent... Forcing her away from Lysander..." Everyone was hanging from her words. "I've heard enough kids saying their parents don't like who they chose to be their girlfriend or boyfriend... Why was that?"

"Parents know better." A boy replied to her. Rachel faced him.

"They know better cause they did the same mistakes? Or because they just don't like someone thinking differently? Or is because they don't like someone who is related to said boyfriend or girlfriend and try to pass the hatred to their child?"

"Those are very good questions, though unfortunately, Mr. Shakespeare is not around to reply..." Mr. Blofis stopped the debate, serious. "We can only speculate about that, but to finish today, is running away the answer? Or is the last choice when you tried everything-" Mr. Blofis' speech was interrupted when the bell rang, making everyone jump and running from their seats.

Rachel's mind, however, was already miles away from school and back at the garden wall. Yes, she was coward by not running away before, but like Mr. Blofis pointed out, it was the last choice when everything else doesn't work. She tried blending in, and nothing happened. Asked for reason, that weren't given.

In the stories, running away made everyone change their minds.

Would that be enough for Octavian and her?

* * *

 _Hello, guys!_

 _First of all, I'd like to apologize for the long absence. Again. Things have been hectic lately and I'd had to organize them before continuing with my writing. As I'm writing this, I'm trying to catch up with all the delay posting, but I'm pretty sure that I'll be back at regular pace by the end of the month. I beg your patience for it._

 _Which leads me to remind you all that, I have made a Facebook page for my A/N and any news/rants/explanations/thing I like to be posted there. I know I said I'd just post there, but apparently everyone loves my A/N, so I'll post them here and there. The page is written down:_

 _Facebook: pg/SilverHuntresses/posts/_

 _As it is April's 1st (also known as April's Fool) I won't be playing pranks, as I cannot make them! However, I will do update my stories (or some of them) during the day. And probably tomorrow._

 _Today, I will update_ ** _Percy Jackson, son of Chaos_** _,_ ** _Garden Wall_** _,_ ** _Urgent! Inspiration: Needed_** _and_ ** _Mortals: Meet... the In-Laws_** _. Any chapters that are missing from_ ** _Mortals: Meet... 2_** _will be post ASAP, probably tomorrow when I finish them. But, in the meantime I want to leave you a special chapter requested by **ObeliskX** there. And to tell **retro mania** that I'm working on your request, but like I explained to you, it will take a little time..._

 _As I mentioned in a post on Facebook,_ ** _Mortals: Meet... 2_** _is coming to an end. Although it was a pleasure and a privilege to write almost 200 chapters about Percy and his friends (and making up a few futures and two lovely spin-offs of my own), I'm running out of ideas, which is why I'm slowing my writing a little: I wanna supply the demand, but I don't have resources. Which is why I decided, with a heavy heart, that it_ ** _won't_** _be a third part._

 _Also, I'd like to let you know that, I wanna finish_ ** _Urgent! Inspiration: Needed_** _before focusing in another story (not many chapters to finish, either... Probably I'll finish in May... or mid-April if I charge my batteries). I realized I tried to handle more than I can take and I'm not as focus as I was at the beginning, as life takes unexpected turns. That being said, it_ ** _doesn't_** _mean I will be giving up my writing and my stories, as it means too much to me._

 _Maybe, I'll diversify myself into a new fandom...? Or random stories...? Who knows..._

 _Please, check my Facebook page as I'll be using Drive's new feature of making polls so you can vote! That allows me having more than one poll at the time! Or you can go to_ ** _Your Comments Are Poll_** _to vote your favorite!_

 _Again, I apologize for the lateness and I appreciate your patience._

 _xoxo, Silver_


	8. Chapter 8

It was late at night and he was still feverish when he started packing. It was dark, too. So he didn't really know what he was doing, and didn't dare turn the lights on. From the window he could see their garden wall, his spot, the place where he belonged, well, at least the place where the girl he belonged with knew him. The moon shone down and he went to bed smiling thinking about all that could be.

It was early in the morning and the fever had broken when he began thinking nationally. Okay, not that rationally, he was talking to himself, but you know pretty rationally.

"What are you even doing? You don't know her. You don't know that she was serious." He kept packing though. In to the bag went Augustus, his stuffed raccoon. Into the bag went his favorite blue shirt, a small blanket, a knife, and a couple other things. Then he began rummaging through his drawers. In a matter of minutes he grew desperate , unable to find what he was looking for. He forced himself to take a few deep calming breaths. It made sense that they would try to take it from him. That was alright. There were more, there had to be more, downstairs in the kitchen. He just ahd to be quiet. And careful...

Just his luck his dad would come downstairs while he was digging up a bottle of aspirin.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Steve Alexander called, startling his 17 year old son.

"I was looking for something." Octavian bluffed, nearly honest.

"In the medicine drawer?" Victoria would have handled this situation a lot more gracefully. Steve, despite being, or having previously been more accurately, fumbled for every word. Octavian looked surprised.

"Oh wow, sorry, wrong drawer. I meant to look in this one. It's early." He even threw in a yawn to aid in his performance, opening the drawer to the left and triumphantly pulling out a roll of tape.

"I need it for school." Steve looked tired and nervous.

"You'renot going to school if you're still sick." He was the type of man who wrung his hands and would have benefited from a fidget cube.

"I'm alright now." Octavian said with an eye roll, getting a bit cocky for someone who hadn't run away yet.

"You know it was stupid and immature to go out like that and get sick." Somehow he'd found out about the garden wall. Octavian backed up to the counter, armed only with tape. His father, a good few inches taller although Octavian was gaining on him, stared him down. Then the slap came. It was one Octavian was used to but never expected the pain reverberated through him, Steve Alexander had years of practice Now he wore a face of shock and shame, a silent apology to his son, but it wasn't enough. Steve wanted to runaway too, from himself, from his lack of control. From his fear and anxiety. But it might have been too late for him.

However, not it was set in stone for Octavian. He wouldn't wait until it was too late for him. He was leaving today.

He waited until Steve went back upstairs. They'd shared a silent cup of coffee and then he finally got back to his search. It wasn't long before he got his hands on what he was looking for, an unopened bottle of aspirin. With that he was ready to go, and crept outside to the garden wall, where he'd been just the other night. For a few minutes he waited for Rachel on his side, the sun slowly rising. He muttered to himself as he waited, trying to be patient since she usually didn't leave for school until a little later. But then, because this was so so so very important, he got nervous that she would show up and come check on him at all. So he climbed over the wall with his bag, and sat down to wait.

The guilt started then. Never mind what his parents would think, or what would end up in the headlines. He should have been going to school like a good little boy. He even liked school! School was a lot better than being at home with his parents. At school he could focus on anything he wanted and pretend like he was successful. And normal. Oh my word he wanted to seem normal... And at school people liked him. He almost had friends. Almost had a girlfriend, Sierra. Not that he really like any of the people at his school. Not that any of them were anything like Rachel. Rachel, who was coming through the door, heading to their spot and stopping... Short in her tracks, gaping, eyes wide, mouth open like a fish, nearly smiling but completely confused.

"Ian?" Her voice came, softly, and he remembered how much he liked to be called Ian. He stood up, hunched over still to keep low and unseen.

"Were you serious?" He blurted. He hadn't put thought into any of this. He was surprised he'd gotten this far. She didn't reply, probably didn't know what he was talking about.

"Because I'm running away. I just need to know if you're running away with me." Her mouth opened and closed, and her eyes shone in the almost light of morning. He held up the bag, waiting for her to say something, anything, even if it was just his name again. And the bottle of pills rattled inside while he waited, the only noise in silence.

* * *

 _Hello, guys!_

 _First of all, I'd like to apologize for the long absence. Again. Things have been hectic lately and I'd had to organize them before continuing with my writing. As I'm writing this, I'm trying to catch up with all the delay posting, but I'm pretty sure that I'll be back at regular pace by the end of the month. I beg your patience for it._

 _Which leads me to remind you all that, I have made a Facebook page for my A/N and any news/rants/explanations/thing I like to be posted there. I know I said I'd just post there, but apparently everyone loves my A/N, so I'll post them here and there. The page is written down:_

 _Facebook: pg/SilverHuntresses/posts/_

 _As it is April's 1st (also known as April's Fool) I won't be playing pranks, as I cannot make them! However, I will do update my stories (or some of them) during the day. And probably tomorrow._

 _Today, I will update_ ** _Percy Jackson, son of Chaos_** _,_ ** _Garden Wall_** _,_ ** _Urgent! Inspiration: Needed_** _and_ ** _Mortals: Meet... the In-Laws_** _. Any chapters that are missing from_ ** _Mortals: Meet... 2_** _will be post ASAP, probably tomorrow when I finish them. But, in the meantime I want to leave you a special chapter requested by **ObeliskX** there. And to tell **retro mania** that I'm working on your request, but like I explained to you, it will take a little time..._

 _As I mentioned in a post on Facebook,_ ** _Mortals: Meet... 2_** _is coming to an end. Although it was a pleasure and a privilege to write almost 200 chapters about Percy and his friends (and making up a few futures and two lovely spin-offs of my own), I'm running out of ideas, which is why I'm slowing my writing a little: I wanna supply the demand, but I don't have resources. Which is why I decided, with a heavy heart, that it_ ** _won't_** _be a third part._

 _Also, I'd like to let you know that, I wanna finish_ ** _Urgent! Inspiration: Needed_** _before focusing in another story (not many chapters to finish, either... Probably I'll finish in May... or mid-April if I charge my batteries). I realized I tried to handle more than I can take and I'm not as focus as I was at the beginning, as life takes unexpected turns. That being said, it_ ** _doesn't_** _mean I will be giving up my writing and my stories, as it means too much to me._

 _Maybe, I'll diversify myself into a new fandom...? Or random stories...? Who knows..._

 _Please, check my Facebook page as I'll be using Drive's new feature of making polls so you can vote! That allows me having more than one poll at the time! Or you can go to_ ** _Your Comments Are Poll_** _to vote your favorite!_

 _Again, I apologize for the lateness and I appreciate your patience._

 _xoxo, Silver_


	9. Chapter 9

It wasn't Rachel that made him have second thoughts. Rachel was great, Rachel was a goddess, Rachel was lovely. It was the way the shelter man looked at him. The shelter man was not lovely. He had gauged that Octavian and Rachel didn't have enough need to need to be there. Had wheels turning in his head that Rachel and Octavian, with their rich luggage, were not homeless but rather runaways. He wanted to let Rachel sleep, but they could not stay there all night. By morning news of them would be wide spread. From there, things would get dangerous.

He as no James Bond, but he figured he could handle a little bad, even a little awful. Looking back at his life, he knew for certain that he could. But he absolutely couldn't put Rachel in harms way. Death was better than that. She trusted him, cuddled up against him as if he was her home. He kept her secure for now, and kept his eyes and ears open to boot. She had been prepared to run away. To throw her entire life away. Why? For him? He gently removed himself from her, it was about 1 AM, and drifted to the shelter bathroom. Someone had left an electric razor on the counter and an idea sparked in his mind. In an hour, his head was shaved, and a stolen beanie pulled over it. The better to blend in.

He woke Rachel up at about four.

"We need to get moving Rachel. We need to keep moving and get out of the city as soon as possible, okay?" With the beanie and the darkness she wouldn't notice his hair yet. Hopefully she wouldn't freak out. He suddenly felt self conscious, concerned by how she saw him. What did it matter? They were fugitives.

His father, if he got his hands on him now, would be furious. His mother might tell him to act respectable, stand up straight, and get a better hair cut.

He slouched instinctively and let out a quiet laugh, thinking of the parents he was disappointing and how he just didn't care. He didn't have hair now, and pulled the beanie down further over his impromptu buzz cut. Rachel, looking at him inquisitively, plucked the beanie off of his head.

"Why'd you shave your head?" He cringed, looking embarrassed. Maybe that had been a bad idea. A stupid idea.

"I think it would help if we looked different, to remain anonymous. People will be searching for us come tomorrow morning." He envisioned his mother's irritation as squad cars and police helicopters combed the city looking for the runaways. Perhaps that was a bit dramatic, but he could not help be afraid. He had something to be afraid of.

"Good idea Ian, give me half an hour. See if you can scrounge up some food." She quirked a smile at him, and he quirked one right back nervously.

He dug through the kitchen completely silently. This of course was not his first time digging through a kitchen at an early hour. He had to remind himself he wasn't looking for pills. He was looking for food. That was not something he usually did late at night. He found a couple things that they could easily carry and consume. He had just packed everything up for good when Rachel came back. Her hair was cut into a short, layered bob. It was...

"Cute." He remarked, not thinking, not realizing what he was saying until it was out of his stupid mouth.

"Thanks, you too." She replied, eyes meeting his with a glint in the low light.

Immediately both blushed like fire. Octavian fumbled for a solid minute trying to think about what had just happened. Trying to think what to do next. He looked a little like a fish out of water.

"We should, we should definitely go before it gets light out. We do not want to be found. We really do not want to be found." He talked a little anxious, a little worried for his entire well being, and hers. As if being caught would personally endanger himself.

Because it would.

He knew that Henry Dare wasn't the beat your own child type, but he could not let Rachel get caught. He had this sinking feeling that if she got caught, something horrible would happen to her. Something horrible like... Well anything, from beatings to being cut off but mostly like... Like her being kept away from him for the rest of her life.

Would that even matter to her?

Or did it just seem heartbreaking to him? She had her whole life a head of her, a life she could no doubt live happily without him. A life with paint and a killer smile and a real chance to change the world. She didn't need him. Would she ever?

He would question time and time again whether or not Rachel truly cared about him. Whether or not he was worth anything to her. Time and time again he would beat himself up inside for not being the person he desperately wanted to be when it came to that girl. For not being good enough. For not being able to fully protect her from the ugliness of the world.

However, at that early hour, she slipped her hand in his, and none of those toxic thoughts that made him think less of himself mattered.

Nothing mattered in that moment, except them.

And now, they were outlaws.

So time to break some rules and not get caught.

* * *

 _Hello, guys!_

 _Well, today is gonna be a short update, unfortunately. It's been one of those weekends when you have a million things to do and the time is not your friend..._

 _So, today, I will be updating one chapter of_ ** _Percy Jackson, son of Chaos_** _and two chapters of **Garden Wall**_ _. I have no idea how many of you follow this story, but I will continue to post all the notes in every chapter I post._

 _Also, I want you to remind you guys, you have time till next Wednesday to vote which is gonna be my next story or my next fandom incursion! For either, go to the poll posted on Facebook (search for it, others chapters have the link) or go to comments and say something! Obviously, you can go to the reading site of your choice..._

 _Also, I'll be completing unfinished stories and doing request during June, so new story will be in July! Keep updated!_

 _xoxo, SilverHuntresses_

* * *

 _Edited:06/01/2017_

 _Hello, guys!_

 _Thanks to my lovely collab writer, **Hugs6** , I realized one chapter was missing that didn't give sense to the story... I'm fixing that right now! Sorry for the trouble!_


	10. Chapter 10

When Octavian told Rachel they had to leave soon, she didn't even hesitated.

Where was this blind trust coming from, anyway?

She didn't mind trusting him completely, but a little left of her rational part was telling her than fully trusting him was a mistake and that it could end up bad. She didn't listen and followed him outside the shelter, her hand on her luggage, looking around. He was right, the sooner they stayed there, more attention they will attract.

The idea of cutting her head had been there for a while, since she left the school the day before. But she kept quiet, maybe he didn't want to cut his hair, so it was a surprise he actually offered that idea. Smiling, she gripped her hand in his while walking out onto the crowded streets of New York City. She didn't know how long will it take to their parents to figure out they were gone, but they had to leave and soon.

"Where would you like to go?" She suddenly blurted out to him, catching him by surprise.

"Eh... I don't know...?" He replied, obviously surprising him. She didn't ask the question again, because she wanted him to think. After a while, she got what she wanted. "We- we could go to Boston first... I always wanted to go to California..." She saw him blush under that thought and she smiled.

"Not a bad idea..." She checked which street they were and remembered the map with all the addresses and bus stations. "C'mon, there's a bus station two blocks away..."

So they walked. Unlike the day before, it was sunny and no rain was threatening to appear, which was good. They could spend the next couple of hours inside a bus and rent a cheap motel room, just to sleep. While she left him to buy the tickets, she saw something that actually either crept her out or made her happy: the morning news.

"Where to?" The gruff man behind the counter asked her, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Two to Boston, please." She asked for, before checking the TV that was on. "Would you mind turning up the volume, please?" The man groaned, but did as asked, letting her hear.

"...not much has been said to us, James, but the fact is that someone broke inside Henry Dare's house last night to kidnap his fifteen-year-old daughter and take money from the family... The family hasn't been contact for ransoms and the Dare are asking anyone who can know something about where their daughter is-" A journalist was in front of her old house, recording live from the scene. Rachel paled and gasped when she saw her parents actually provoking a physical fight with the Alexanders!

"You stole from me, you bigoted asshole!" Henry Dare's insults were heard above the noise and everyone was recording it. "Two hundred grands!" Did she stole that amount from her father?

"Here are your tickets." The man pulled her out of her thoughts and she rushed away from him. Luckily she cut her hair last night. Maybe it was time to dye it as well. No pictures of her were released to the press and no demands were made. Her father only spoke about the money and not her. Ungrateful bastards...

"Ian, we have to-" She stopped talking when she saw the most adorable scene ever. Octavian was petting a small puppy that passed unnoticed by the guards. The waggling tail of the small puppy and the big smile on Octavian's face was enough for Rachel to keep the bad news to herself. She could not take that away from him and wasn't going to worry him. "Looks like you have company..."

"He's cute, isn't him?" Octavian sounded like a child, nuzzling the puppy and holding it tight. The sparkle in his eyes was enough to break Rachel's cold heart: they would have to keep it. "Can we keep it? Please? I'll look after him!"

"Only if this little guy promise to stay quiet during the ride, as we don't have a dog carrier yet and I don't think they allow dogs inside the buses-" The puppy showed his happiness by licking her face. "Yeah, yeah... I like you too..."

"How do we name him?" Rachel noticed how Octavian switched the 'I' for 'we' and that warmed her heart.

"I saw we get into the bus and sleep through the ride... We can think a name later..." She encouraged him, walking into the bus that had stopped in front of them. Big neon light said Boston in front of it. "Ready?"

"After you." He said, hiding the puppy inside his baggy clothes. The puppy even seemed to understand because he hid his face she placed their luggage above them, she sat by the window, looking outside. She had some tricks under her sleeve that she didn't want to use unless it was extremely necessary. Also, she didn't want Octavian to know them.

She would never tolerate to know if he thinks bad about her.

"Goodbye, New York... Hope we can see each other again..."

* * *

 _Edited:06/01/2017_

 _Hello, guys!_

 _Thanks to my lovely collab writer, **Hugs6** , I realized one chapter was missing that didn't give sense to the story... I'm fixing that right now! Sorry for the trouble!_


	11. Chapter 11

When Octavian told Rachel they had to leave soon, she didn't even hesitated.

Where was this blind trust coming from, anyway?

She didn't mind trusting him completely, but a little left of her rational part was telling her than fully trusting him was a mistake and that it could end up bad. She didn't listen and followed him outside the shelter, her hand on her luggage, looking around. He was right, the sooner they stayed there, more attention they will attract.

The idea of cutting her head had been there for a while, since she left the school the day before. But she kept quiet, maybe he didn't want to cut his hair, so it was a surprise he actually offered that idea. Smiling, she gripped her hand in his while walking out onto the crowded streets of New York City. She didn't know how long will it take to their parents to figure out they were gone, but they had to leave and soon.

"Where would you like to go?" She suddenly blurted out to him, catching him by surprise.

"Eh... I don't know...?" He replied, obviously surprising him. She didn't ask the question again, because she wanted him to think. After a while, she got what she wanted. "We- we could go to Boston first... I always wanted to go to California..." She saw him blush under that thought and she smiled.

"Not a bad idea..." She checked which street they were and remembered the map with all the addresses and bus stations. "C'mon, there's a bus station two blocks away..."

So they walked. Unlike the day before, it was sunny and no rain was threatening to appear, which was good. They could spend the next couple of hours inside a bus and rent a cheap motel room, just to sleep. While she left him to buy the tickets, she saw something that actually either crept her out or made her happy: the morning news.

"Where to?" The gruff man behind the counter asked her, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Two to Boston, please." She asked for, before checking the TV that was on. "Would you mind turning up the volume, please?" The man groaned, but did as asked, letting her hear.

"...not much has been said to us, James, but the fact is that someone broke inside Henry Dare's house last night to kidnap his fifteen-year-old daughter and take money from the family... The family hasn't been contact for ransoms and the Dare are asking anyone who can know something about where their daughter is-" A journalist was in front of her old house, recording live from the scene. Rachel paled and gasped when she saw her parents actually provoking a physical fight with the Alexanders!

"You stole from me, you bigoted asshole!" Henry Dare's insults were heard above the noise and everyone was recording it. "Two hundred grands!" Did she stole that amount from her father?

"Here are your tickets." The man pulled her out of her thoughts and she rushed away from him. Luckily she cut her hair last night. Maybe it was time to dye it as well. No pictures of her were released to the press and no demands were made. Her father only spoke about the money and not her. Ungrateful bastards...

"Ian, we have to-" She stopped talking when she saw the most adorable scene ever. Octavian was petting a small puppy that passed unnoticed by the guards. The waggling tail of the small puppy and the big smile on Octavian's face was enough for Rachel to keep the bad news to herself. She could not take that away from him and wasn't going to worry him. "Looks like you have company..."

"He's cute, isn't him?" Octavian sounded like a child, nuzzling the puppy and holding it tight. The sparkle in his eyes was enough to break Rachel's cold heart: they would have to keep it. "Can we keep it? Please? I'll look after him!"

"Only if this little guy promise to stay quiet during the ride, as we don't have a dog carrier yet and I don't think they allow dogs inside the buses-" The puppy showed his happiness by licking her face. "Yeah, yeah... I like you too..."

"How do we name him?" Rachel noticed how Octavian switched the 'I' for 'we' and that warmed her heart.

"I saw we get into the bus and sleep through the ride... We can think a name later..." She encouraged him, walking into the bus that had stopped in front of them. Big neon light said Boston in front of it. "Ready?"

"After you." He said, hiding the puppy inside his baggy clothes. The puppy even seemed to understand because he hid his face she placed their luggage above them, she sat by the window, looking outside. She had some tricks under her sleeve that she didn't want to use unless it was extremely necessary. Also, she didn't want Octavian to know them.

She would never tolerate to know if he thinks bad about her.

"Goodbye, New York... Hope we can see each other again..."

* * *

 _Edited:06/01/2017_

 _Hello, guys!_

 _Thanks to my lovely collab writer, **Hugs6** , I realized one chapter was missing that didn't give sense to the story... I'm fixing that right now! Sorry for the trouble!_


	12. Chapter 12

He was half asleep on the bus with the adorable dachshund puppy in his lap when Rachel shot straight up in her seat and looked at him.

"Puck!" She announced excitedly, running a hand through her cute new hair do.

"Puck?" He asked.

"The puppy's name! It should be Puck." How could he not agree? She looked so excited and... Adorable. He wanted to capture her lips in a kiss. It was so long since the garden wall club. It was so long ago since she last really kissed him. And that had just been on the cheek. It was silly, wanting that again. She'd just been a kid. She probably hadn't even really thought about what she was doing.

She probably hadn't meant it. It was just a little kid thing to do. To go around dispersing affection left and right, and who was more affectionate than that sweet little girl of so long ago?

The way she smiled at their puppy though...

That sweet little girl hadn't changed. He leaned over and instinctively placed a kiss on her cheek. She looked at him, surprised.

"Ian?" He loved to hear her say his nickname. No one else knew he had it. Sierra always called him Octavvy. He liked Ian a lot more, maybe because it came from her lips. Her perfect lips... Ugh. He was so tempted to kiss her on those lips.

"Yeah? Sorry..." He apologized, blushing.

"Sorry? Don't be. Because um..." She hesitates.

"It's a long ride to Boston. You should probably get some good sleep. I'll take care of-" He was about to say Puck when he was caught off guard by her throwing her lips against his. She, of course, would be the one to make the first move. He smiled shyly, more blushing than not blushing.

"Um wow." Was all he could think to say when she pulled away. She just nodded, tugging at her hair and realizing that it wasn't as long as it had been. She looked nervous all of the sudden.

"You should get some rest." He added weakly, acutely aware of the flavor lipgloss Rachel had put on and how much he liked it. Acutely aware of how the early morning light shone on her eyes and...

Acutely aware of the little wet splotch forming on his jeans.

Puck wanted the attention that Octavian had been giving to Rachel, and now Rachel was laughing. But he was okay with that, because he loved her laugh, more than he loved having dry denim that didn't smell like dog pee.

"Isn't Puck the name of that one fairy...?" He asked, and Rachel laughed and nodded.

"Yeah, in Midsummer night's dream. The mischief maker."

"What a perfect name for our little mischief maker." Their Puck looked like he had no regrets in the world. As if he hadn't done anything dastardly whatsoever. Octavian loved the little feller or he would have been annoyed at it's actions.

"We have to toilet train this guy pronto." He added.

"At least it was pee, she pointed out, teasing him. He pouted, actually pouted, surprising himself.

"I guess." He whined.

"Hey, you're the one who wanted a puppy." She pointed out, still teasing.

"True, true." He reasoned thoughtfully.

"But if he wants he can be in my lap." Puck launched himself into her lap as if he understood, making Octavian instantly jealous. She smirked when she saw the look on his face and pet the dog.

"No fair. He only likes you 'cause you're prettier than me." Octavian blurted. More smirking, but her face was noticeably redder.

"Then he has good taste." She teased. The dog seemed to be laughing at me.

"Or maybe he was looking for somewhere to go number two." Octavian shot back. Her eyes grew wide, and she hit him.

It continued like that for awhile, just like if they were little kids arguing over a toy. Then, as if by some fairy magic, by some midsummer night and its dream, they were both fast asleep until Boston. Unfortunately, they didn't hide the dog well, fortunately, nobody cared. By the end of the bus ride, Puck was parading up and down the aisle getting affection from literally everyone while his owners snored. Finally someone woke them up holding the squirming puppy. Puck had eaten pizza, sandwiches, dog treats, and anything else the passengers would give him. His owners however were starved.

Octavian took their dog and they left the bus. Rachel still seemed sleepy. Puck was lively. "Hey, Rachel..."

"Hm?" The sleepy girl asked.

"Do you wanna go on a date? I'm starved."

"How romantic." She teased, but she was blushing.

"I'd like that Ian. Let's just get our hotel room first." He nodded. He would do anything she said. He was lovestruck. Lovestruck? Yeah... Lovestruck. Wow... He had always k own that He liked Rachel but... well of course he loved her. Duh. He smiled cheekily. She smiled back.

"Ian...?"

"Yeah?" He asked instantly holding the squirmy puppy.

"You smell like dog pee."

* * *

 _Hello, guys!_

 _First, I wanna apologize for not posting last weekend, but I had some troubles at home and they required my attention. But, this means we're in July and I had promised lots of things for the new month, so I'll break them down for you all!_

 _New Stories! Yes, as you read, I'll be posting two stories from now on,_ ** _Character: Meet... Character_** _(honestly, I never thought you guys would love that story so much that you asked me for 2 spin-offs and a sequel!) and_ ** _Mate?! Ain't Australian, Buddy!_** _(name would be open to change, but I couldn't think of anything cooler than that)._

 _This force me to tell you that, even though I plan to update every weekend, I might not be able to do it from all the stories I have, so I ask for patience... The new stories are in my profile, go check them._

 _Also, I wrote two special chapters (requested by my friend ObeliskX). Since I had two, I'll post one in_ ** _Mortals: Meet... the In-Laws_** _and one in_ ** _Percy Jackson, son of Chaos_** _(also, I've been in contact with Mjavery9, former collab of mine in that story and he likes what I'm doing with that story... Also, he is writing his own story, go check it up!)_

 _Well, I'll be posting too much today, hope you have time to read all!_

 _xoxo, SilverHuntresses_


	13. Chapter 13

A date.

Octavian had asked her on a date!

Rachel couldn't be more excited, but she hid it very well. Although, the smile that was adorning her face was a good guess that she was extremely happy. They had decided that, once they arrived to Boston, they'd go eating (or 'dating', which ever applied to the situation) and then, go hotel searching. One that would allow dogs, otherwise they'd not know what to do with Puck.

She had been thinking a lot about the Shakespeare's play, since she got away from home. 'Puck' seemed to fit the little guy, since he was always getting into troubles and none of the consequences. Also, they needed proper food for him, as well to know if he was vaccinated and/or had any illness...

"That's a lot of work..." She mumbled softly. Puck whined, like hearing her, though Octavian didn't seem to hear her. She immediately petted Puck, smirking. "That doesn't mean we'll get rid of you..." She assured him and Puck seemed satisfied about it. She remembered once the video she saw about the homeless dog that followed the ambulance that was carrying his homeless owner. The dog wouldn't give up until he was inside the ambulance.

She wondered if either Octavian and Puck would do that for her.

She grew up having a crazy and no-returning crush on Octavian. He was older than him and was someone in troubles. She was taught to be nice, but Octavian needed more than nice. Just like Puck, he needs more than nice. They need a home, someone who wouldn't give up on them when things get difficult. Was then, when a difficult thought struck her. Her face turned painful and Octavian noticed.

"What's wrong?" He wondered at her, curious. Rachel didn't know how to explain it to him. Would he reconsider it now?

"What-" No, it was too painful to say it out loud. She would rather kept quiet, but his eyes in her were too much pressure.

"What what?"

"What about your girlfriend...?" She didn't dare to look up, not wanting to crush her illusions.

"What about her? She's not here..." He replied, shrugging. She didn't know how to take that, but one thing is sure: if he wasn't worried about, then it was no worthy to worry about. Taking a deep breath, she relaxed and laid back on her seat. They'd be getting to Boston soon enough.

* * *

Soon enough arrived ten minutes later. They decided to get out of the bus after everyone left, so they could have more time relaxing. Plus, they wouldn't be rushed. They first needed to find a bathroom, as Octavian's jeans weren't making a good show. She ushered Puck behind Octavian, while she rushed to the bathroom as well. For the first time in two days, she could look at her appearance, clearly.

She had cut her hair in a bob. Not her favorite style, but she might grow to love it. The point was to pass without noticed. She could dye it lighter, but they have no time for that now. Wear contact lents? That could be another layer of protection, she should talk it with Octavian. Her shirt had a little of dirt, thanks to Puck's paws, but that was easy cleaned.

She came out, feeling more comfortable with herself. Octavian hasn't come out yet, so she waited in silence. The adrenaline rush was soon fading and fear was replacing it, but when Octavian came out, all that disappeared. She smiled and grabbed his hand in hers. He didn't pull away and that was great.

"So, um... where you wanna go?" He asked, a little nervous. She liked him a little nervous.

"Anywhere is fine..." She assured him. Puck had found a place in, surprisingly, Octavian's hoodie and he was very comfortable. "Um, won't he fall from there...?" Octavian glanced back, trying to see what she was talking about and shrugged.

"Couldn't take him out... Besides, since he doesn't have a leash, it's better than him running around, right?" Puck seemed to feel offended by the thought of a leash and barked, as if saying 'Leashes are bad!' "Yeah, yeah... Behave nicely!" Rachel couldn't help but to giggle at their interaction, earning two curious looks.

"You look adorable arguing with a puppy..." Both blushed at the end, while Puck kept barking and wiggling his tail. Soon, they arrived to a park with a nearby restaurant and decided to stay there for a while. Watching the people passing by. Plus, it was a very good place to hear news. "Order anything you want, I buy."

"No, I insist in this..." Rachel wanted to argue, but something told her that if she did, Octavian was going to feel very depressed. Shutting her mouth, she nodded and smiled, while ordering. A milkshake and cookies later, they were still sitting there, not saying much, though many pass-by people were amazed with Puck and stopped to pet him. That gave Rachel time to stare at Octavian. "You're staring at me again..."

"Sorry..." She apologized, blushing. "It's just that... well, I wanna know everything about you... What you like, you don't like, what you want to be, where you'd like to go... I know I might be stepping my boundaries, but I guess I need to in case something happens... I mean, I really hope nothing bad happens, but we have to be prepared for it, right...?"

Rachel watched as Octavian got a little serious while she was ranting. She immediately regretted asking anything, but she couldn't go back on her words. She only hoped he didn't hate her now to leave her.

* * *

 _Hello, guys!_

 _First, I wanna apologize for not posting last weekend, but I had some troubles at home and they required my attention. But, this means we're in July and I had promised lots of things for the new month, so I'll break them down for you all!_

 _New Stories! Yes, as you read, I'll be posting two stories from now on,_ ** _Character: Meet... Character_** _(honestly, I never thought you guys would love that story so much that you asked me for 2 spin-offs and a sequel!) and_ ** _Mate?! Ain't Australian, Buddy!_** _(name would be open to change, but I couldn't think of anything cooler than that)._

 _This force me to tell you that, even though I plan to update every weekend, I might not be able to do it from all the stories I have, so I ask for patience... The new stories are in my profile, go check them._

 _Also, I wrote two special chapters (requested by my friend ObeliskX). Since I had two, I'll post one in_ ** _Mortals: Meet... the In-Laws_** _and one in_ ** _Percy Jackson, son of Chaos_** _(also, I've been in contact with Mjavery9, former collab of mine in that story and he likes what I'm doing with that story... Also, he is writing his own story, go check it up!)_

 _Well, I'll be posting too much today, hope you have time to read all!_

 _xoxo, SilverHuntresses_


	14. Chapter 14

"It's just that... well, I wanna know everything about you... What you like, you don't like, what you want to be, where you'd like to go... I know I might be stepping my boundaries, but I guess I need to in case something happens... I mean, I really hope nothing bad happens, but we have to be prepared for it, right...?"

She sounded nervous asking him that.

As if it wasn't normal to ask someone about themselves. Maybe for her, it wasn't. Maybe she hadn't had people who asked her about herself. Octavian hadn't exactly had normal, but he had had people who seemed semi interested in his life. Not his parents, of course, but people at school. Like Sierra.

"First things first, that girlfriend you asked me about?" Rachel looked nervous. She hugged Puck.

"She doesn't exist. I mean, she exists, I'm sure you think I have a girlfriend for a reason, Sierra tells everyone that we're dating but we aren't, actually. I've been on like one date with her and it was whatever."

"Just whatever?" Rachel asked cautiously.

"Well yeah, she's no you." Instant blush from both.

"Um..." Rachel mumbled.

"Right. Let's move on..."

"What do you like to do?" He thought for awhile.

For longer than a long while. What did he like? Did he like things? Did he like anything? He thought, long and hard.

"I had this... White truck, a really nice truck that I liked to drive around. Gave me a sense of escape, you know?"

"You had a truck and you didn't think we could use it to runaway?"

"Rachel, you've been thinking about this for awhile but I've been thinking about this too. They would have tracked the license plate. We would have been discovered."

"Oh. Yeah. But it's cool, about the truck and all."

"I should have invited you for a ride, but if it had gotten out... You know." He watched her frown.

"What's stupider, the family feud, or our families?"

"Our families. Hey, Rachel...?" She looked over at him, and he took her hand instinctively.

"Yeah, Ian?"

"I've always been really glad that your dad never hit you. I would... I'd kill him if he ever laid a hand on you." Octavian said vehemently. Rachel blushed.

"I just wish I could've done something to help you with your dad..." He kissed her lips, right there, suddenly.

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare, you didn't have to do something, you did everything," He said, when he had pulled away from the surprise kiss. He had to stop doing that. It was scaring him how impulsive he was. He feared he'd do something and end up hurting her do to his impulsiveness. She blushed.

He blushed.

They were both so awkward and cute.

"So um... What was your favorite subject in school?" She asked, blushing furiously, most likely to change the subject.

"Theatre," He said instantly, probably surprising her.

"You act?"

"Stage crew, mostly..." But of course he acted. He'd been acting his whole life, every second of every minute of every hour of every day of every week of every month of every year. He was acting right now, acting like he didn't have a bottle of pills in his bag, acting like he wasn't oh so dependent on them. Acting like he could take care of her, and keep her safe, when really, he was weak.

Acting like the kiss he leaned in for could fix everything.

"Your parents let you take theatre class?"

"Yes, my mother said my grandfather would be proud that I was so creative and expressive. My dad didn't care." Rachel nodded.

"My parents scorned creativity." She said sadly.

"They said that my art would never get me anywhere."

"But Rachel... Your art is amazing. You're the best artist I've ever seen!" He spoke passionately when complimenting her. This at least, was not an act. She smiled.

"Really?"

"Oh yeah, the best I've ever seen." He said easily. She blushed.

"You know, Rach..." He added, a smile playing across his lips.

"What?" She asked, looking at him curiously.

"We never really had that art lesson." A smile spread acroos her own face.

"You're right. You really want to learn?"

"I've wanted to learn for ten years. I've wanted to be able to make something beautiful the way you do every day." He said.

"I'm not that good." She said, overly modest.

"You're amazing. You're beautiful." He meant to say her art was beautiful, but honestly... She was beautiful. Both blushed again, and suddenly...

Suddenly she was kissing him and then he was kissing back and it was a whole big thing, their lips and faces and bodies against each other, until Puck chose to remind them that they were in public by squirming in between them and adding to the kiss with his slobbery puppy tongue. Octavian laughed.

"Puck! Stop it!" He was flustered and embarrassed, smiling weakly as he pet their puppy.

Rachel gave Puck some attention too.

"Sorry." She apologized. There were stars in his eyes.

"Never be sorry. Never be sorry again." And he leaned in for another kiss.

"We're in a park, Ian, we shouldn't..." She protested, as her lips wavered right in front of his.

"You don't want to?"

"I never said that." She crashed her lips into his and Puck and everyone else was just forced to deal with that.

* * *

 _Hello, guys!_

 _I know that I promised to post yesterday, but thanks to a slip from my father, I have one more day with you guys before leaving this week! That was the good news. The kind-of-bad is that it's going to be a no-tech week, so I'll have no contact with you all. I hope you can understand._

 _Now, onto the stories!_

 _One:_ ** _Mortals, Meet... the In-Laws_** _. I coded to make Connor Stoll and Hecate for this weekend, hope is funny enough._

 _Two:_ ** _Percy Jackson, son of Chaos_** _._

 _Three:_ ** _Mate?! Ain't Australian, Buddy!_**

 _Four:_ ** _Character, Meet... Character_** _. Fred & George Weasley vs. Travis & Connor Stoll (too much Connor this week, wonder why...)_

 _Five:_ ** _Garden Wall_**

 _Six: after a long time, I managed to fulfill **retro mania** request! It's the genderbent story of _**_Queen Midas and her golden touch_** _, hope you all enjoy it!_

 _See you all next week! I hope to bring new chapters and more energy!_

 _xoxo, SilverHuntresses_


	15. Chapter 15

She was in cloud nine.

Well, not literally cause if she was there, she wouldn't be able to breath and would die...

But she was there.

He had kissed her. More than once!

She loved it.

She didn't want to stop but both needed air and Puck was squirming too much between them. That was annoying, but she could not start scolding a little puppy in the middle of the park, specially when he had done nothing to deserve her scolding.

When she finally pulled back, she stared at his bright blue eyes. Yes, bright, they were sparkling. She could feel his arms around her and she didn't want to leave that place. But, her brain decided to engage at that moment, reminding her of all the things they had to do that day. Smiling, she cupped his cheek and stroke it softly.

"We should get moving..." She whispered at him. She had some doubts in her voice and he heard them.

"We should stay here..." He replied back, in the same low voice. She shivered just by listening to that voice, it was... addictive. However, her brain decided a little of sarcasm was in order to break the spell.

"I rather not sleep in the park at night..." She blushed, but she could see how Octavian was reaching the same conclusion. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. It was there when Rachel discovered one thing.

It didn't matter if he couldn't protect her from everything. That was the safest place she knew.

* * *

After a could of hours walking around, they finally found a hotel that would allow dogs and was in their budgets. They were guided into a little room with only one bed and a bureau with a small TV and a bathroom big enough for a shower and a toilet. Thanking the manager, they closed the door and started to relax, before blushing again. The idea of sleeping, and only sleeping, together was getting into their brains just now.

"I can't believe he fell for that..." She mumbled, looking around while placing Puck on the floor. Immediately, the little guy went to 'discover' the bathroom.

"I have to admit I got scared myself when you blurted that we were backpacking the country before college..." Octavian admitted. Rachel blushed and began scolding herself for having that idea. Honestly, she thought no one would be believing they were on a honeymoon or that they were tourists from other country. That seemed to be closer to the truth than anything. "I thought I was gonna give the game away..."

"Well, you caught up pretty fast and I'll thank you for it." She smiled at him, before kissing him lightly. She didn't count on Octavian continuing the kiss and wrapping his arms around her, pulling closer. Again, her brain shut down. But only for a moment. "Ian... What are we gonna do?"

"What are we gonna do about what?" He asked, but he knows what she's talking about. He always knows what she's talking about.

"I mean, we can live off a few months, if we are smart, but after that..." She sat down on the bed, looking at him. "I'm not saying I'm regretting it, but I just want to have a back up plan of the back up plan..." The bag was opened and now, she wasn't going to stop anytime soon. She only hope he stayed with her afterwards. "What I'm trying to say is that, I want to stay with you, because yesterday and the day before were great days and I want to keep them going... I don't want them to end..."

"I know what you mean..." He lifted her chin up and looked at her. "But I know we can think about something, you're very smart..." She blushed under the compliment. "C'mon, it's late and we have to get some sleep... We can think something in the morning, alright?"

"Alright." She agreed. She went to change in the bathroom, coming back out a few minutes later in her pajamas. Octavian had chosen to sleep in some old tattered clothes of his. "So, um... which side you like the most?"

"Anything is fine...but I chose the left one, if you're alright with it." He quickly added when he saw her face. She nodded and went to the right side of the bed, getting slightly comfortable. Puck had found a comfortable spot at their feet, in a curled ball. Rachel decided to buy him some toys later. However, Octavian looked like if he was thinking something really ahrd.

"Everything alright?"

"Yes. Everything is...fine." Rachel nodded, but didn't voice out that she didn't believe him. He'll tell her when he was ready, no pushing buttons around. He got in and laid down, looking at the ceiling. She copied him and glanced at him. "Well, um... Good night." Smiling, she reached at him and kissed his cheek softly.

"Good night, Ian..." She whispered at him, before snuggling against the sheets.

She heard him going to the bathroom late at night.

She heard him talking to himself.

She knew that, at some point, he'd be ready to share everything with him.

But for now, she'd have to wait...

* * *

 _Hello, fan fiction lovers!_

 _The first thing I'd like to do is to apologize for my absence last month... I had returned from a really horrible vacation with my family (Mom got sick, then me, horrible hotels and lame/forgetful attractions), I had no intentions of writing anything... After that, August became tougher and tougher and I proposed to catch up with all my stories and post first weekend of September..._

 _Also, I'd like to wish a be-late Happy Back To School to the ones that already started. I've been on your shoes and I know school ain't easy or enjoyable sometimes, but it's a must..._

 _Alright, enough with the sappy! We're here for something else! Stories! (Also, I'd like to address a reviewer's comment about reading my stories somewhere else. Yes. I have accounts in Wattpad, FanFiction, Quotev and Penana. I will have to update the last two, since the former two are my favorite ones. Anywhere else, IS NOT MINE)_

 ** _Garden Wall_** _: 2 chapters, more on the work. Hope you like them!_

 ** _Queen Midas and her Golden Touch_** _: repost of the original chapter. Last time, I couldn't post it properly, and I'm trying again today. I apologize to **retro mania** for the delay..._

 ** _Mortals, Meet... the In-Laws_** _: 4 chapters! Clarisse, Katie, Travis and Lou meet their in-laws!_

 ** _Characters, Meet... Characters_** _: 4 chapters! Not even mentioning, you will discover it!_

 ** _Percy Jackson, son of Chaos_** _: 4 chapters plus Epilogue! (Proper thank you note there)_

 ** _Mate?! Ain't Australian, Buddy!_** _: 4 chapters! I apologize for some of the plot, can be trigging or too violent for some readers..._

 _IMPORTANT NEWS! The story_ ** _Rise of Ouranos_** _will be rewritten, as my collaborator_ ** _LordNitro_** _, decided not to continue with the story. I appreciate you all for you patience._

 _This will be all for this week! See you guys next Sunday!_

 _xoxo, SilverHuntresses_


	16. Chapter 16

She would kill him. He was absolutely positive that she would kill him if she figured out he wasn't loyal. If she knew if loved another, stared longingly at another, he murmured to himself, sick with troubles, guilty and so much more. So much more than just guilty. Rachel Dare was perfect and gorgeous and irreplaceable and yet here he was in thr bathroom resisting the temptation of another.

Hurting her was hurting him. She could never find out, but also... Maybe she should. Someone needed to know. He was building walls and shutting people out and just maybe, it was killing him. He sat and stared at his second love, the only one who fought Rachel for his affection. In one sense, he despised this second love but also he found it alluring, tempting, something he could not live without.

Do I really have to choose between them? He thought to himself, quietly rattling the bottle of Tylenol. That was answer enough. He really did.

He could not lie next to Rachel that night with such a heavy secret on his chest. He would be uncomfortable kissing her knowing he was swallowing secrets every night.

But he didn't want to admit his secret shame to the girl he so adored. The girl who consumed him could never know the pills he had consumed in order to feel numb.

To an extent, he no longer wanted to feel numb. Before, when life was a series of abuse and neglect, Aspirin seemed like a viable escape, arguably the only escape. Now, Rachel made him feel things that he didn't want to block out or escape. But at this point, he had a hard time stopping.

He paced the bathroom, conflicted

How can I love this girl if... How can I want to marry her? Could I ever get down on my knee and propose with such a skeleton in my closet?

He didn't want to tell her though. How could Rachel ever love someone eith such deep seeded problems as he? She didn't sign up for his issues, he didn't want to force them on her. Besides, baby steps... They barely had a relationship. It was far too early to picture settling down, starting a family... She was only 15.

He was being irresponsible though.

If I want a family with Rachel I have to cut the pills out of my life. So he dumped the bottle into the otherwise empty trash can.

And then he stared at them for some time. Just sat on the edge of the hotel bath tub and stared at his lost love. A thought crept into his mind.

"I'll change tomorrow. I'll be better for her tomorrow." He muttered to himself, realizing that he was, very well, going crazy as he dug out a few pills from the bottom of the trash can and knocked them down, throwing a way a few wads of toilet paper so that the evidence of his flaws would be buried at the very bottom. Rachel would hopefully never know of his other lover, or how he had been unfaithful the very night of their first real kiss.

As he climbed into bed and held her close, he couldn't help be disgusted with himself. But when his eyes closed his shame melted away as well and he saw beautiful things in his dreams. He dreamed of proposing and dreamed even more fervently of that family he longed to have with her. He saw little kids with her hair and his eyes playing in the yard. It was so vivid that he tried to demand that it was real. But it was not. It was just a vision, a projected future that distracted from their current outlaw state, cuddled up togetherin a room they could barely afford, trying to fight back reality from ruining them.

When he woke up he knew it could never last. He had too many problems to bring to thr table and those skeletons in his closet had a chokehold on his throat. He was ashamed to be the one Rachel most trusted, ashamed not of her but of knowing that he himself did not deserve the honor of her trust.

But as he slept he dreamed, and as he dreamed it was glorious, and it was forever. And it would be forever for as long as they could just lay there holding each other.

* * *

 _Hello, guys!_

 _Oh, I have so much to share with you, but the first thing I want to do is to give a big shout out to my beau (actually, is the first time I call him that) on our One Year Anniversary! Babe, I love you!_

 _To commemorate today, I wrote a special piece that you can find in the #TeenWolf section of the fiction under the name of_ ** _The Wolf and the Hunter Witch_** _. It's my first incursion in Teen Wolf, so don't be harsh on me. It has the proper author's note there, so don't expect to find this there!_

 _On other news, let's go to the stories!_

 ** _Mortals, Meet... the In-Laws_** _: one chapter!_

 ** _Character, Meet... Character_** _: one chapter!_

 ** _Mate?! Ain't Australian, Buddy!_** _: one chapter!_

 ** _Garden Wall_** _: two chapters!_

 _On a side note, whoever follows my collab in FanFiction with_ ** _Hugs6_** _called_ ** _How I Met My Brother_** _, let me tell you that we're taking a hiatus from posting. We're still writing the story, but not had the time to post! Stay tuned!_

 _xoxo, SilverHuntresses_


	17. Chapter 17

She woke up before him in the morning, feeling a rather large abdominal pain in her body. She gathered her thoughts and got off the bed, grabbed a small travel kit and rushed to the bathroom, immediately knowing what it was and how to react. After a while, she decided to take a pill, just to relieve her before their morning walk.

Her routine done, she washed her face and took some deep breaths to calm down her racing heart. She hated this time of the month like any other woman. When she threw a paper towel to the trash can, she noticed it was full of paper. Frowning, she gently and quietly moved the trash can to hear small cling clangs in the bottom of it. Ans she also found the bottle of pills.

She knew what it means.

She also knew what happened last night.

Part of her was happy to see that most of the bottle was there and not gone. She knew it was a very slow and tedious process and that she could only helped without being a witch. But other part of her was disappointed that she trusted someone like that, so auto destructive. Unfortunately for her, that's the part her body wanted to mourn.

She began sobbing in silence, gripping the sink with all her might.

In her anger, her frustration and her own desperation, she searched through his entire luggage and found some more. She dumped them all in the trash can and closed the bag, placing it on the trash can outside their room, so he wouldn't be tempted later on. The only one she'd keep would be the ones she uses, and even then, she would take the pain.

Emotionally and mentally exhausted, she went back to bed, where she thought she'd stay awake until he woke up.

Surprisingly for her, sleep claimed her again.

* * *

Rachel woke up a few hours later, feeling better, with no pain and to the licks of a small puppy on her fingertips. Groaning softly, she turned around in bed, to find Octavian gone from bed. She was up in a flash, only to hear the shower on. Sighing in relax, she laid there, watching the ceiling. She was then, surrounded by a couple of arms.

"Morning..." He greeted her, as if nothing had happened last night. She closed her eyes before looking at him, softly. "You alright? I heard you getting up in the morning..."

"Yeah, I- I had an emergency, but I'm alright..." That wasn't a lie, so she was telling the truth, or kind of. "I'm hungry." She suddenly changed the subject. Another truth, she was so hungry she could eat three times her weight, but she doubted she ever went through it. He smiled at her and nodded, pecking her cheek.

"Let me change and we'll go for something to eat." She nodded at his request, before he disappeared into the bathroom. She suddenly felt the urge of crying, but she held it inside, not wanting to argue with him. Puck must have sensed she was distraught because he walked to her and started licking her face, until he heard a giggle.

"Yeah, alright, Puck!" She stopped him, not able to be bad at the little furry ball. Puck smiled in his unique puppy way and barked. "Yes, we'll go eating and then, we'll go buy some toys for you... And maybe search for some job or another bus trip..." She added the last part to herself, though she was sure the puppy heard her. She just wasn't sure what was going to happen from now on.

"Ready?" Octavian pulled her out of her thoughts, making her nod. "Rach, you're still wearing your pj's..." Rachel looked down at her clothes and, as he had pointed out, she was still wearing her nightclothes. Chuckling a bit embarrassed, she grabbed her actual clothes and changed into the bathroom, taking a moment to gather her thoughts.

She could confront him. But that could end up badly, him defending himself and with a result of them going their separate ways.

No, she would wait until he told her, like she had agreed with herself during the night.

More convinced, or as much as her emotions allowed her at the moment, she washed her face again and walked out, dressed for the day. She put her nightclothes into her luggage and smiled at Octavian.

"Now I'm ready..." She admitted, placing the biggest smile she could and that didn't look fake. It was more than enough for Octavian, who smiled back at her. Let's just hope he doesn't realize it's because I'm hurting...

* * *

 _Hello, guys!_

 _Oh, I have so much to share with you, but the first thing I want to do is to give a big shout out to my beau (actually, is the first time I call him that) on our One Year Anniversary! Babe, I love you!_

 _To commemorate today, I wrote a special piece that you can find in the #TeenWolf section of the fiction under the name of_ ** _The Wolf and the Hunter Witch_** _. It's my first incursion in Teen Wolf, so don't be harsh on me. It has the proper author's note there, so don't expect to find this there!_

 _On other news, let's go to the stories!_

 ** _Mortals, Meet... the In-Laws_** _: one chapter!_

 ** _Character, Meet... Character_** _: one chapter!_

 ** _Mate?! Ain't Australian, Buddy!_** _: one chapter!_

 ** _Garden Wall_** _: two chapters!_

 _On a side note, whoever follows my collab in FanFiction with_ ** _Hugs6_** _called_ ** _How I Met My Brother_** _, let me tell you that we're taking a hiatus from posting. We're still writing the story, but not had the time to post! Stay tuned!_

 _xoxo, SilverHuntresses_


	18. Chapter 18

It was embarrassimg, mortifying, to be associated with abuse. Abuser, abused. Alcohol, drugs, pain, or pain pills. How was he supposed to tell her? How was he supposed to ask for help?

Asking for help...It wasn't often done. His mom owned whole chains of high end restaurants and ran them like a pro. If something she couldn't do popped up she either learned fast or delegated faster. She never asked for help. She never seemed to need it, and wore her independence well. As for his father? He was a dependent man, a dangerous man. What man needed help more than the nervous, abusive, and alcoholic Steve Alexander? The most Octavian had ever feared for his life was when his mom had had his father signed up for an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Steve had not attended. He had been intensely upset, and when Steve got intensely upset, things got intensely painful.

Octavian needed to block that all out. He needed help and couldn't let his parents refusal of assistance influence him. He wasn't there anymore. He was free. Free to admit to his transgressions.

So obviously he stalled, first. He took her out for breakfast and they talked about school, and their parents, and the food they were eating.

And then they went eith Puck to buy him toys, which took forever. Puck had gotten so excited over everything in the store, and they had had to resist buying everything for him. It wasn't practical, but they wanted to.

Then they went to the dog park to play with their new dog toys and their new dog. Finally, when all three were tuckered out, he sat her down on a bench, and took her hand, and looked into her eyes.

"Rachel... Can we talk?" He asked quietly. Her green eyes flashed with fear and he felt guilty.

"I'm sorry," Rachel whispered. Octavian just gave her a puzzled look.

"I snooped in your bag to find the other pills and you probably hate me for meddling-"

"I don't hate you for anything. I never will. I'm upset that you know about the pills already though. I was about to tell you, I figured you really needed to know." It wasn't easy, saying this.

"I have a problem, Rachel. A big one, and... I'm ashamed." He confessed. Rachel wrapped her arms around him, rubbing his back as he began to cry.

"You know what the best part of the Garden Wall Club is?" She whispered to him.

"No, what?" He asked, sniffling a little.

"We fix problems together." She smiled warmly at him, and he returned the smile, hers was infectious, how could he not return the smile?

"Every problem?" He asked, with a smile, his smiling lips so close to hers. He hears her lose her breath for a moment, his heart racing in response. She moved forward and they were kissing and he no longer cared about the answer to his question. But she had one. He groaned when she pulled back, but she gave him a look that controlled him.

"Together, we can fix any problem that we know about. Which means you have to tell me when there is a problem. You have to put it all on the table." Octavian readily agreed, kissing her again. That lasted for awhile, a good four or five minutes with no interruption.

It was the no interruption part that made them suspicious. Usually Puck would have attacked them with his puppy tongue by now. So they began to look for him, calling out his name. Puck knew his name. The dog came running, curiously muddy. Rachel laughed and glanced at Octavian.

"What a mess!" She exclaimed.

"Just like us." He said, smiling and scooping up the pup.

"Just like us." She agreed, wrapping her arms around him as they headed back to the hotel.

"Nothing we can't handle." He added, as an after thought, as Puck got comfortable in his arms.

"No, there isn't anything... Octavian, whatever happens... I want it to be us. Always. No matter what problem." Octavian grinned, that's what he wanted to hear. He couldn't imagine any happier a statement. He couldn't imagine needing a single aspirin now.

"There was so much pain, Rachel. There was always so much pain. I needed relief, any form of it. I only got to talk to you a little, school was only a few hours a day, I was always thrust into so much pain. That's why I became addicted. I craved not hurting. And with you... I just don't hurt. Thank you, Rachel. Thank you for being my salvation." Rachel was blushing like crazy. It was so adorable.

"You're just saying that stuff..."

"No, I'm not. I love you Rachel, I think the world of you and I want you to think the world of yourself. You're beautiful and kind... Honestly, I don't just believe that you could fix all of our problems, I believe that if you set your mind to it, you could fix the entire world. And I want to fix it with you." She gaped at him.

"Y-you do?' Octavian took a deep breath and nodded, the next words coming fast and spontaneously.

"Rachel, will you let me fix the world with you? Rachel Elizabeth Dare, will you marry me?"

* * *

 _Hello, guys!_

 _First of all, I want to apologize for not posting last weekend, you see I had a bit of good luck, with less-than-helpful wifi connection and a big stomach ache all weekend, so I was much laying in bed, trying to recover._

 _Second of all, I want to say... I CAN'T BELIEVE IS THE LAST WEEKEND OF NOVEMBER?! Man, time really flies! When we want to remember, we're celebrating Christmas! Dear Lord, we have to start buying presents!_

 _Anyway, this last weekend of November I bring you to you all of this!_

 ** _Mortals: Meet... the In-Laws_** _ **!** : 2 chapters! A warning... due to the lack of characters, this story only will have two MORE chapters left, and I will explain why: though I'd love to make different couples (lots of you were asking of a Lou/Cecil), there's the fact that I don't have parents that haven't been used before (Hecate or Hermes in my example). So, I apologize for it and, unless you have an idea to solve that, this story will come to an end..._

 ** _Garden Wall_** _: 2 chapters! We (me and my collab, **Hugs6** ) haven't been slacking this one. Hence, this update._

 ** _Mate?! Ain't Australian, Buddy!_** _: 2 chapters! I had struggled with one of these chapters, so I hope it doesn't show up lots. Also, this story will come to an end soon, I think the next weekend, as I only have one or two chapters left plus the epilogue. I'd like to thank_ ** _DarthRath_** _as he had read some of my chapters before, since he knows lots more of werewolves than me. Thank you!_

 _Also..._

 ** _A No-Girly-Girl Girly's Time_** _: unique chapter! Though very late, this is my present to my bestie_ _ **AMillionPages** for her birthday. Happy late birthday! I greeted on your birthday, but I wanted to give you this!_

 _Well, this will all for today, though I'm posting a special chapter on Thursday, so stay tune!_

 _xoxo, SilverHuntresses_


	19. Chapter 19

One blink.

Two blinks.

Three blinks.

Soon, the blinks turned into a small wind.

"You- I-" It wasn't very hard for neither Rachel or Octavian to figure out that Rachel was shocked and speechless. And the matter that Octavian kept smiling at her made her a little uncomfortable, as if she owed her an answer.

Oh, wait. She did!

"I know I kind of rushed it..." Octavian took her hands in his, trying to calm her down. She could swear he was hearing her racing heart out of her chest. "And I also know you're fifteen, but what I'm giving you is a long-term promise... We don't have to get married today nor tomorrow nor even next month... But I want that, eventually, you consider the option that I want to be with you for the rest of my life... If you accept, that's it..."

Alright, that made a little of more sense to Rachel, but she still noticed Octavian wanted an answer, so she looked into his eyes and gave her the only answer she could. The only answer she felt right at the moment.

"If I accept..." She wanted to clarify some things and Octavian wasn't complaining much. "We need to have house, jobs and stable life for a couple of years- oh, and I want to be older, like 18 or something..." His smile was very contagious.

"So, is that a yes? Because I'm no hearing no..." Rachel rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Yeah, it's a yes..." She didn't even finished when she was scooped up in Octavian's arms, who twirled her around, laughing in happiness. Rachel couldn't help but to laugh along, while Puck did a small 'dog dance' around them. He finally settled her down and smiled down at her, placing a small kiss on her lips.

Happiness was going be something short, however.

"Hey, you two!" Rachel saved the internal groan and pulled apart from Octavian, who was frowning slightly. Probably from annoyance at the interruption. "The muddy dog better not be yours!" It was the manager and, Rachel could see the disappointment look when Puck came out and showed off, completely clean. "Oh. Well, you better not get him muddy, alright?"

"Of course, sir." Octavian replied, gritting his teeth and Rachel couldn't blame him. She didn't understand why the manager wasn't leaving.

"Have I seen you before?" Rachel frowned, which was a very question. She glanced at Octavian, who was frowning the same way. It was very obvious that neither of them had seen the man before in his life.

"No, sir..." Rachel assured him. The manager was uncertain, everyone could see it in his eyes, but left, leaving Rachel wondering what was that. "You think he recognized me? O-or you?" She started to ramble, the happiness from minutes ago disappeared like smoke. It was then when Rachel remembered she didn't tell Octavian about the news and the reward on her head. Well, she didn't need to be dead, but the point stands.

"I don't think so, but would you rather move? Just in case...?" The offer was really sweet and Rachel took it, nodding. Octavian sighed and kissed her forehead softly. "It will make us no good leaving now, it would make us suspicious and he'd spot on us..." She nodded again, knowing he was right. They would take their chances on the daily manager. "Would you rather sleep a little..?" She nodded again, not wanting to say anything.

She wasn't sure what would came out of her mouth if she did opened it.

* * *

Rachel tossed around in bed, not sure if she had slept a wink.

Too many factors were in game. One, her worry about what happened before was still present. Two, the guilt of not saying anything about the news to Octavian. Three, Octavian wasn't sleeping with her. Four, in her subconscious mind, Rachel was questioning and slightly regretting accepting to marry Octavian.

She couldn't do anything about the first one, or nothing yet. They would move again, probably to a less cold place, Octavian wanted to see California. The second problem was easily solved, as soon as they were ready to leave or on top of a bus, as she hoped Octavian didn't abandoned her when he heard them. The third one, it was halfway there, as Octavian was sitting, leaning against the headboard of the bed, his hand on her back.

The last one is one she had to figure it out herself and by the end of the day.

They woke up really early and decided to take the bus to California. Maybe, once Octavian experienced the life in the West Coast, they could go to a little less crowded place, like the south or something. Luck was with them, as the day manager was there, greeting them with a smile when they left.

They reached the bus station and Rachel bought the tickets to California, still thinking about what she had to talk to Octavian.

She decided to take the chance.

"Octavian, Ian..." She called his attention from Puck, who was playing with him. "Ian, there's something I have to tell you..." Octavian turned to face her, a little bit upset.

"You're reconsidering, aren't you?" That took her off guard, but it was obvious that Octavian had thought the same too. She had to set hims mind off the topic.

"Octavian, what I want to discuss is not something that happened last night... It happened a couple of days ago." Octavian's short relief turned into confusion and worry, not knowing what to expect. "Octavian, I didn't want to tell you, but I think you have the right to know... My parents filled a report of missing person on me... along with the money I stole from them. Octavian, we need to disappear."

She just hoped the statement didn't blow in her face.

* * *

 _Hello, guys!_

 _First of all, I want to apologize for not posting last weekend, you see I had a bit of good luck, with less-than-helpful wifi connection and a big stomach ache all weekend, so I was much laying in bed, trying to recover._

 _Second of all, I want to say... I CAN'T BELIEVE IS THE LAST WEEKEND OF NOVEMBER?! Man, time really flies! When we want to remember, we're celebrating Christmas! Dear Lord, we have to start buying presents!_

 _Anyway, this last weekend of November I bring you to you all of this!_

 ** _Mortals: Meet... the In-Laws_** _ **!** : 2 chapters! A warning... due to the lack of characters, this story only will have two MORE chapters left, and I will explain why: though I'd love to make different couples (lots of you were asking of a Lou/Cecil), there's the fact that I don't have parents that haven't been used before (Hecate or Hermes in my example). So, I apologize for it and, unless you have an idea to solve that, this story will come to an end..._

 ** _Garden Wall_** _: 2 chapters! We (me and my collab, **Hugs6** ) haven't been slacking this one. Hence, this update._

 ** _Mate?! Ain't Australian, Buddy!_** _: 2 chapters! I had struggled with one of these chapters, so I hope it doesn't show up lots. Also, this story will come to an end soon, I think the next weekend, as I only have one or two chapters left plus the epilogue. I'd like to thank_ ** _DarthRath_** _as he had read some of my chapters before, since he knows lots more of werewolves than me. Thank you!_

 _Also..._

 ** _A No-Girly-Girl Girly's Time_** _: unique chapter! Though very late, this is my present to my bestie_ _ **AMillionPages** for her birthday. Happy late birthday! I greeted on your birthday, but I wanted to give you this!_

 _Well, this will all for today, though I'm posting a special chapter on Thursday, so stay tune!_

 _xoxo, SilverHuntresses_


End file.
